


Hero of Ember

by owarinoway



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, i used she/her for arashi, lots of fighting monsters and questing, prophecies and magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-12 03:12:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13538472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owarinoway/pseuds/owarinoway
Summary: With the release of the ancients, the world is thrown into peril. The only one who can save it? Morisawa Chiaki!Big Ryuseitai centered fantasy au that no one asked for.





	1. The Altar

It had only been a couple hours since his group split up, and Chiaki was already in way over his head.

His party had never been very tightly knit, so when Madara announced that he was leaving, everyone else had as well. He knew Ember’s court needed his friend, but he wished everyone could have stayed together. “We’ll meet again, Chiaki. Stay out of trouble, alright?” Madara chuckled a bit, and after giving him a brief hug, began walking down the stone path leading to the capital. Chiaki sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He’d never been alone in the forest, especially so far away from his home, a small village hundreds of miles away from the capital. He was young and inexperienced at only 17, but he thought he’d be able to adventure on his own just fine. 

Apparently, overconfidence is one of his vices. After wandering around the woods a few miles away from the capital of Ember for a couple hours, he found a lone wraith around some sort of stone altar. Easy, he thought to himself, and was just about to attack when he was spotted first. Panicking, Chiaki backs up and stumbles, falling onto the ground. Wow, that was graceful. He stands back up quickly and swings his steel sword, only to be thrown backwards by the wraith. His sword and shield go flying, and he’s left defenseless, dazed and winded on the harsh and dry autumn leaves that cover the ground. “Time for plan B,” he mutters, and staggers to his feet, leaning against a nearby tree for support. He closes his eyes and concentrates. The heat always starts in his toes and spreads upward slowly, almost agonizingly hot, until it reaches his head. The magical energy bursts through his eyes, and he can barely make out the outline of the wraith through the flames. He raises his hand and concentrates on focusing his energy. It erupts outwards and shoots toward the wraith, which falls and disintegrates into dust and fine crystals. 

He falls backwards, exhausted by the physical and mental exertion necessary to activate his energy. He spends a few moments laying on the ground, trying to come up with a plan. His first instinct is to investigate the altar, but he’s wary of another battle so soon after such a taxing one. He sits up, brushing the bits of leaves and dirt out of his unruly hair. “What do I do, Madara?”

He sighs and stands up, moving to collect his sword and shield that had been tossed away about 20 feet on either side. As he sheathes his sword, he notices a light coming from the stone altar. “What the hell...?” He begins to move closer, having to shield his eyes as he gets to the edge. Suddenly the light shoots upwards, forming a sort of beacon. It fades after a few seconds, leaving a figure standing in the middle. He’s tall and pale, almost sickly looking, and Chiaki moves closer. “Are you okay?”

The man turns sharply, meeting Chiaki’s brown eyes with icy blue ones. “Who are you?” he asks, taking a step towards him. He stumbles, and Chiaki catches him as he falls.

“Morisawa Chiaki at your service,” he says cheerfully. The man continues to lean on him, but does not reply for several moments.

He straightens, and places both hands on Chiaki’s shoulders, staring directly into his eyes. “You have a good soul, Chiaki. Listen to me carefully. This world is about to change. I tried, gods, I tried my whole life to keep them at bay.”

“What do you mean...?” Chiak tilts his head.

“I was holding it closed. The- the portal to the other world.” He covers his face and coughs. Chiaki thinks he sees a flash of red, but he again looks at the man’s face as he begins to speak again. “The stories spoke of a hero.” He smiles, but looks more pained than happy. “That hero might be you, Chiaki.”

 

“What world? A hero? I don’t understand.” He searches the man’s face for something, but his expression remains painstaken and melancholic. “Who are you?”

“You can call me Eichi. Chiaki, I was there for years. Forgive me if my mind is foggy. It took tremendous energy to travel here.” He coughs again, this time for several moments. Chiaki moves to help him, but Eichi holds up a hand. “Please, you must find someone. A librarian. He dwells amongst the mage nomads east of Luna Castle.” With this, he collapses. Stunned and unsure what to do, Chiaki kneels down, and the other man lays against him.

“What’s this?” He looks up, and is greeted by a mysterious face surrounded by long, light silvery blue hair. “Who is this young man holding my Eichi?”

“Morisawa Chiaki, fighter for justice! You know him?” he asks.

The man chuckles and leans down, carefully picking up the sleeping man. “Morisawa Chiaki, huh?” He grins. “This man is very precious, Morisawa Chiaki. How is it that you have come to know him?”

“Not really, aha.” Chiaki scratches his head and stands up, brushing the dirt off his pants. “I was in the area and that altar lit up and he just . . . appeared there. Then he told me something about different worlds and a librarian. I don’t really understand any of it.”

“Oho? Eichi must trust you a great deal to tell you all of that after just meeting you.”

Chiaki looks at the ground for a moment, unsure of what to say. “Who are you?” He looks back up, but the man and Eichi are gone, leaving him once again alone in the forest. Chiaki sighs. “This is nuts.”

He turns his attention back to the altar. It’s made out of smooth stone, with multiple carvings and jewels inscribed into it. Upon closer inspection, the carvings are revealed to be words in a different language, though not one that Chiaki spoke or had ever even seen. On top of the altar is an old leather-bound book, appearing to be in the same language as the carvings. “What is this...?” The book is open to what looks like a picture of a wraith surrounded by words in red. He reaches towards it, and a gust of wind turns the pages. They turn to a picture of the altar that the book is on. He doesn’t understand why, but he knows that this is not a coincidence. Quickly, he grabs the book, closing it and placing it in a small bag running across his back. The wind picks up again, whipping his hair and sash around wildly. He kneels against the force, squinting his eyes and struggling to take out his sword.

The wind slows, and when he opens his eyes again, he sees half a dozen wraiths surrounding the altar. He stares at them, terror striking his chest. He swallows it down, sheathes his sword, and runs away as fast as he can. Some hero I am, he thinks, but he knows facing them alone would lead to death. He doesn’t look, he just runs, stopping only to see if he’d been followed. A quick glance reveals the wraiths quickly catching up to him. He gulps, and continues running, hoping that they get bored of chasing him eventually.

In his panic, he doesn’t notice the form right in front of him, and he hits it directly, sending both of them flying into a shallow creek. He lands on the other person, and he leans back, struggling to raise himself up.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"


	2. Ocean Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 already it's been like 3 hours  
> I'm so excited about this I can't stop writing. I hope you like it!! The chiakana is just beginning lol

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

The person beneath him, a man, he thinks, doesn’t move for a moment. His hair is a light blue, with a piece of it sticking up into a sort of loop despite the impact. He slowly opens his eyes, which are revealed to be an intense and bright green. Chiaki blushes, noticing that the man he’s currently laying on is quite beautiful. “Ehhh??” His eyes shoot open and Chiaki stands up quickly, leaning to help the other man up.

“I-- I didn’t mean to hit you. Are you okay?” he repeats. The man takes his hand and stands as well, but does not drop it when he does. Instead, he stares into Chiaki’s eyes, almost as if looking for something.

“You’re very “warm”,” he says, and finally drops Chiaki’s hand. “What are you “running” from?”

Remembering the wraiths, Chiaki looks over his shoulder, but they seem to be gone now. “Nothing now, I guess. I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you standing there!” Chiaki bows deeply, nervousness tingling throughout his body.

The man laughs, and Chiaki raises his head. The thought crosses his mind that the man’s laugh sounds like bubbles. “You’re very cute, “apologizing” like that. What’s your “name”?”

“Morisawa Chiaki, defender of justice,” he announces. “You are...?”

The man chuckles again, and Chiaki’s heart skips a beat. “Shinkai Kanata. If I “had” to say something that I “defend” as well, I’d say the ocean.” He smiles. “Morisawa Chiaki. A very “fitting” name for a hero.”

Chiaki blushes. “I’m not exactly a hero yet.” He observes the other man. He’s barely taller than he is, but less muscular. He’s also soaking wet, but doesn’t really seem to mind. “What are you doing out here?”

Kanata chuckles again, and Chiaki thinks that if he keeps doing that, he’s going to have heart problems. “I’ve been “following” this creek for a while. I’ve “been” trying to get home.”

“Where are you from? Maybe I can help you!”

Green eyes meet brown ones. “I’m from the sea.”

“You live by the sea?”

Kanata shakes his head. “The “sea” is my home.”

Chiaki chuckles nervously, but doesn’t press further. “Well, Shinkai-san--”

“Kanata is fine.”

“I’ll help you get home, then!” Chiaki grins.  
Kanata smiles and pats Chiaki’s cheek. “You’re very sweet. Where were you “going”?”

Chiaki looks at the ground. “I’m not exactly sure . . . I was told to go to Luna Castle. Well, kind of. Actually, I’m supposed to find someone with the mage nomads . . .”

Kanata’s face lights up. “The mage nomads? I know “someone” who lives there.”

“Ehh, really? It’s a shame you have to go home, then!”

Kanata grins at him slyly. “Are you “suggesting” I go with you?”

“Uhh,” Chiaki stutters, blushing. “I-- I wasn’t really-- I mean, if you wanted to . . .?”

Laughing, Kanata pats Chiaki’s shoulder. “It is “alright”, Chiaki. I’ve missed him terribly. Are you “ready” to go?”

Chiaki looks around. “I suppose I am, though I’m not really sure which way . . .”

Kanata grabs his hand, and they begin towards what Chiaki assumes is the right way. “You must be very “new” to this, aren’t you?” Kanata giggles. “You’re awfully “young” to be out “here” by yourself.”

Chiaki scratches his head with his free hand. “My party just split up today. Also, I’m not that young! I thought I’d be alright, given how strong my energy is.”

“Ooh, what is your “energy”, Chiaki?”

“I’ve got fire.” He grins. “It’s pretty cool. I’ve never seen anyone else do anything like it.”

“Fire and water, huh . . .” Kanata looks into the distance.

Chiaki looks at him. “Yours is water? I’ve never met someone else who had an element.”

Kanata smiles sadly. “It’s not exactly “energy” as humans have. My . . . “species” is very old. We have a different kind of magic.”

“Does--” Chiaki hesitates. “Does it have to do with . . . the other world?”

Kanata stops walking and looks at him, eyes wide. “How do you “know” about that, Chiaki?”

“It’s . . . it’s kind of why I was running.” Kanata looks at him intensely. “I found an altar of some kind and a guy came out of it, kind of.” 

Kanata’s expression hardens. “It “must” be that bastard.”

Chiaki glances at the other man. “His name was Eichi. He was the one who told me to go to the mage nomads. He-- he called me a hero.”

At that, Kanata begins walking again, still grasping onto Chiaki’s hand. “I could “tell” you were special, Chiaki. I think he’s probably “right”, even if he is the reason behind all of this.”

“What do you mean?”

Kanata sighs. “Years ago, many hundreds of years, the other world and this one were one.” Chiaki thinks that he sounds oddly serious compared to his normal carefree tone. “The ancients, they were trying to ruin humanity. The five of us. . .” He looks ahead, his expression laced with immense sadness. “We stored them in a new world. One of them, the one you met, he was forced to keep the door between them closed as punishment. He deserved worse for what he did to us. My companion, he took pity on him. Somehow, after everything, he was still able to love him.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you, Kanata?”

The blue haired man returns to his normal demeanor. “I’m a “child” of these ancients, in a sense. My energy, my magic, is of that other world. I suspect yours is too.”

 

“Ehh?” Chiaki turns to Kanata. “I’ve never even seen that world. How is it . . .”

“There’s a prophecy that speaks of a hero who is born in this world . . . he “has eyes of fire, and the largest heart of any man”.”

“Eyes-- eyes of fire?” Chiaki sputters, raising a hand to touch his face.

Kanata glances at him. “I “guess” it really is you, then.” 

“But, Kanata.” Chiaki stops walking. “How can I stop them if they’re that powerful?”

Kanata smiles at him, a warmer smile than his usual one. “I’m sure you can do it, Morisawa Chiaki, defender of justice.”

Chiaki blushes upon hearing the familiar words, and they continue walking towards Luna Castle.


	3. Luna Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is here! Lots of characters introduced here, sorry if it gets confusing. Hopefully you didn't have to wait to long. Thank you everyone for your support so far!  
> I use she/her pronouns for Arashi, so if anyone takes issue with that I'm sorry but also I'm not.

“On your right,” Chiaki yells, his shield barely keeping back the wolf in front of him. He always feels bad killing them since they’re so much like dogs, but he swallows his remorse and plunges his sword into the beast. It falls, and he turns to Kanata, who has easily bested the wolves that went after him.

“There’s been an awful “lot” of monsters after us, don’t you think, Chiaki?” Kanata brushes his hair out of his eyes.

“I wonder . . .” Chiaki’s back tingles, and he reaches for the book almost reflectively.

“Where’d you get that?” Kanata sounds panicked as he snatches the book from Chiaki’s grasp. “This “book” . . .”

Chiaki chuckles nervously. “It-- it was on the altar. It looked important. . .”

Kanata gives him a look. “You seem like you have a “knack” for trouble, Chiaki . . . Well, the librarian will “want” this anyway.” He grabs Chiaki’s hand, and they continue towards Luna Castle, now easily visible in the distance.

“I’m not going to get lost, you know,” Chiaki says, though he admits he enjoys holding Kanata’s hand maybe a little too much.

“You’re very warm,” Kanata repeats.

“Madara always used to say that too,” Chiaki says. “He’d always sleep next to me at night. ‘Who needs the campfire when you have Chiaki’, he’d say.”

Kanata hums in agreement. “Are we going to the castle?” Chiaki asks.

Kanata nods. “It’s almost “dark” now; if we tried to “get” to the mage nomads’ camps we’d surely die.”

Their path soon merges with a more elaborate one made of granite, and they’re stopped by a tall man with purple hair on horseback.

“What is your business here?” He asks, one hand on a sword at his side.

“We’d like to rent a room for the night,” Chiaki says, flashing a smile.

The man narrows his eyes slightly. “Where are you going?”

“We’re on our way to the camps a little ways from here, but it’s too dark to get there now.”

The man nods slightly, and takes his hand off his sword. “You look like honest kids. Come on, then” 

He leads them up to the castle, stopping at the stables to put up his horse. A small boy with wild brown hair greets him there. “Ado-chan, who are they? Are they prisoners? Do you have any bread?”

The man with purple hair chuckles and pulls out a piece of sweet bread, offering it to the excited boy. “Calm down, Mitsuru. They just want a place to sleep.”

“Ooh!” His eyes light up. “Are you adventurers? Tell me about your quests!”

Chiaki pats the boys head. “I’m Morisawa Chiaki, defender of justice! What’s your name?”

“I’m Tenma Mitsuru! Wow, you have a cool name! Are you going to the nomad camps?”

Chiaki is taken aback. “How did you know that?”

“Oh, that’s where everyone who comes here is going! Hey, can I go with you? Can I go with them, Ado-chan?!” 

“Come on, Mitsuru. We should be going to the castle.”

Mitsuru pouts slightly but follows him as he leads them to the front of the castle. At the door they are stopped again by a grumpy looking man with unruly grey hair. “Who the hell are they, Adonis? Why are ya always bringing a bunch of goddamn kids up here?”

Chiaki is a little taken aback by his manner of speaking, but Adonis just chuckles at the man. “They’re adventurers, Koga. You know how it is.”

Koga scoffs and opens the door. “Just once I’d like you to tell them to go away. One day some of these kids are gonna be trouble.”

Kanata and Chiaki look at each other, both remembering the book. Neither say anything as Koga allows them inside, but not before glaring intensely at both of them. Adonis chuckles and pats Koga’s shoulder, following them inside. Koga enters as well, closing the door and standing in front of it with his arms crossed.

“Adonis-chan, Mitsuru-chan!” A tall person with short blond hair runs over to them.

“Arashi,” Adonis says, smiling. “How are you, my lady?”

“Ara-chan!” Mitsuru runs up to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. “Look, there’s adventures here!”

“Ara? What are your names?”

“Morisawa Chiaki, defender of justice!” Chiaki says. “This is Shinkai Kanata!” Kanata nods at her. “We just needed a room to stay for the night.”

She smiles at them. “So nice to see all these hardworking children coming through here all the time! There’s still dinner festivities going on if you’re hungry. Come on, I’ll show you to the dining hall! You too, Adonis-chan, Mitsuru-chan!”

“Yayy!” Mitsuru runs ahead, pulling Arashi as he does.

“Calm down, Mitsuru-chan,” she says, laughing. “There’s still going to be bread when you get there.”

They enter to what seems like a million different noises happening at once, all of them stopping as people notice them. “There’s some adventurer guests tonight, ou-sama. It’s no problem if they join, right?”

A man with orange hair sitting at the head of the table laughs. “Yes, yes that’s fine, Naru-kun. Come sit down here, kids!”

Arashi leads them to empty seats at the end of the table. Chiaki and Kanata sit on the same side, and are passed plates. 

“So, what are your names?” The man smiles at them.

“I’m Morisawa Chiaki, defender of justice!”

At this, the man laughs again. “I like that! You have a good energy about you. What about you?” He turns his attention to Kanata, his green eyes bright with excitement.

“Shinkai Kanata,” he says, smiling. “Your “castle” is very lovely.”

“Bwahaha, thanks! You both seem pretty young to be adventurers.”

“I’m a lot “older” than I look,” Kanata says.

“Age doesn’t matter as long as you can fight,” Chiaki adds.

“Aha, I like you guys! Who are you going to the nomad camps for?”

Chiaki and Kanata look at each other. “The librarian,” Chiaki says.

“Ohh, that’s a change! Usually people are going to see that sorcerer person!” Kanata stiffens at that and Chiaki glances at him, concerned.

“Let them eat, Ou-sama,” a scowling man with silver hair beside the king says. “They’ll want to be up early so they can be escorted over there.”

“Right you are, Sena!” The king laughs again. “I’m about to retire myself. Are you done?”

The silver haired man rolls his eyes. “As usual, subtlety is not your strong suite. Yes, I’m ready to go.” They both stand up from the table.

“It was great meeting you kids! Maybe we’ll meet again someday!” With that, they leave the room. Upon seeing the king leave, others start to leave as well, leaving a fraction of the people there were before.

“He was . . . nice,” Chiaki says, taking a sip of water.

“Chiaki,” Kanata looks at him. “Is it “fine” to be so trusting with “these” people?”

“I don’t see why not,” Chiaki says. “Isn’t it so cool to be here?! My mom always told me stories about this place when I was a kid!”

Kanata smiles at him softly. “You seem “excited”. Admittedly, I do not “know” much about this place. They must be “good” people, then.” He yawns, covering his mouth.

“Ara, are you children tired?” Arashi asks. “Adonis-chan and I can show you to a room!”

“That’d be great,” Chiaki says with a smile, standing up from the table and pushing his chair in.

They’re led down a long grandiose hallway and take a right turn, leading them to another long hallway scattered with doors. Arashi opens one, revealing a simple room with a large bed, a chest, and a small nightstand. “Does this work?” Chiaki and Kanata look at each other, both noticing the lack of a second bed but neither wanting to say anything about it.

“Thank you so much,” Chiaki says, flashing them a smile. “You’re very hospitable.”

Arashi giggles. “My, you kids are very charming. I almost wish you could stay! Well, we’ll leave you to sleep now. Come on, Adonis-chan!” With that, she takes Adonis’s hand and they disappear to somewhere in the castle.

They take off their boots and lay on the bed, facing each other. “I’m nervous to go to the camps,” Chiaki admits in a whisper.

Kanata brushes Chiaki’s bangs out of his eyes. “It’ll be “okay”, Chiaki. You’re a “hero”, after all.” Even through the dark, Chiaki can tell Kanata is smiling. They drift off to sleep with their fingers intertwined.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked pls kudos or comment!! ♡♡ More soon


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